The Amsterdam Light Festival is Back in Town

It’s that time of the year again! The canals of Amsterdam have temporarily transformed into an urban canvas for the fifth edition of my favourite winter event: The Amsterdam Light Festival is back in town. Every late afternoon, Amsterdam’s picturesque decor makes a nocturnal metamorphosis. As the days shorten and temperatures drop, the gloomy nights become illuminated by the most colourful light installations. This year’s festival opened on December 1 and I was lucky enough to sneak one of the very first peeks!

Water Colors Boat Tour

There are two main options to explore the festival: the Water Colors boat route or the Illuminade walking route. The last time I was on a boat on the canals, I was still in primary school. Last week, I finally did it again for an amazing preview of the Water Colors Boat Tour! December is the time when Amsterdam’s fairy-tale ambiance and enchanting architecture culminates into the most magical cityscape. There is not much that can beat the sight of Amsterdam all lit up by Christmas lights, except the sight of Amsterdam lit up by Christmas lights AND the eye-catching artworks of the light festival. The works along the Water Colors Boat Tour will be on display until January 22.

Illuminade Walking Tour

The theme of the Illuminade Walking Tour this year is the concept of Biomimicry: think like nature. As a result, you will notice that many of the light installations along the route have an organic type of “flowing” beauty. I saw some of them during the boat tour and took a few photos, but I won’t give you any more spoilers. Go out and discover all the installations yourself, you won’t regret it! The walking route opens on December 15 and will end on January 8, slightly earlier than the boat tour. Of course, if you’re on a tight budget, you don’t necessarily need to buy tickets to go on a tour. You can also go and see the artworks by foot or bicycle on your own accord.

Previous Editions of the Amsterdam Light Festival

I hope you enjoyed this little preview of this year’s festival. Want to catch up on the previous editions of the Amsterdam Light Festival? I also blogged about the 2014-2015 edition before and made a selection of 12 photos that show some of my favourite light installations from the festival. Are you planning to check out the festival this year? Let me know in the comment section!

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